Twisting and winding machine.



No. 710,459. v Patqnted Oct; 7, I902.

A. s. HORLACHER. TWISTING AND WINDING II AGHINE.

(Application am a e. so, 19 1. (No Nodal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet L as [N VEN TOR.

WITNESSES No. 7|o,459.

, Patented Oct. 7,1902; A. S. HURLACHER. TWISTING AND WINDING MACHINE. Applies don filed. Sept. 20, 1901. I

2 Sheath-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

ATTORNEY.

W1 TNESSES ffi rm: scams PETERS co. wnmcxu'mou Mme-m1). c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

ADAM S. HORLACHER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TWISTING AND WINDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,459, dated October 7, 1902.

Application filed September 20,1901. Serial No. 75,981. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM S. HORLACHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Twisting and Winding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved machine for preparing or twisting rag-carpet strips to be used as weft; and it consists in a simple means whereby said weft is twisted, wound, and finally unwound on its shuttle, all as hereinafter more fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The carpet to be converted into weft material is first out into strips of any suitable width and length, and these strips are pierced at their ends to form one long strip. The strip thus formed is by a separate mechanism and process raveled or frayed at and along its edges to remove the warp therefrom, leaving only sufficient warp at the central portion of the strip to tie or bind the weft thereof, so that the weft will withstand the strain to which it is to be subjected while being further prepared, twisted, and woven into a fabric.

The object of this invention is to provide a means for twisting said frayed strips, to form weft to be woven into a fabric in such a manner that the reverse surfaces or sides of said fabric will to all appearance be alike or the sides will be reversible, to provide means for winding the weft when twisted Without stopping the machine, to provide a noiseless treadle-driving means for driving said twisting mechanism, and finally to provide a brake or stopping means whereby the machine may be instantly stopped by a single movement of the pedal. I attain these objects by means of the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the machine looking-in the direction of the arrow a. (See Fig. 2.) Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same looking in the direction indicated by the arrow Z). (See Fig. 1.) Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the winding-spool. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail longitudinal seetional view of the said spool, taken through the line A B. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the friction-clutch, taken through the line 0 D. (See porting-frame of the machine, is preferably cylindrical in form and is provided with the integral base or foot 2. A standard 3, having a foot or hearing base 4, is securely bolted to the top end of said standard 1, and a horizontally-extending spindle 5 is fitted in the bearings 6 and 7 of said standard 3 to be rotat-able therein. The spindle 5 is prolonged at one end to project through the bearing 7 an extent to receive'the winding-spool 8 and support the same and which latter constitutes the main feature of this invention, together with the means for driving said spool and also the mechanism whereby the machine may be instantaneously stopped. A driven pulley 9 is keyed or otherwise secured on the spindle 5 in position thereon to be between the bearings 6 and 7 of the standard 3, and the said pulley is driven by the drive-belt 12 of the drive-pulley 10. A pedal-shaft 13 is fitted in suitable bearings 14: and 15, formed integral on the standard 1 near the base thereof and beneath the said driving-pulley 10. At one end of the pedal-shaft 13 is securely mounted the foot lever or pedal 16, and on the opposite end is secured the clutchoperating arm 17 in position thereon, so that the said arm will swing its full extent or an extent necessary to impart the motion of rotation required to operate the driving-clutch mechanism to rapidly rotate said driving-pulley 10.

The driving-shaft 18, upon which the pulley 10 is keyed or otherwise secured to turn therewith, is mounted in the journal-bearings 19 and 20, formed integral on the standard 1 and directly above and in alineinent with the pedal-shaft bearings let and 15. Between the said bearings 19 and 20 are formed the wheelways 11 on opposite sides of the standard 1 and in which said pulley or fly- ICO 'wheel 10 is situated. The driving-shaft 18 is prolonged at one end to extend beyond the bearing 20 to receive the clutch-disk 21, which latter is keyed or otherwise secured thereon. The bearing 20 is counterbored a portion of its length and of a diameter to receive the sleeve-bearing 22, which latter is either driven or pressed therein, and on the overhanging end of said sleeve is mounted the clutch-pulley 23, which latter is connected by a single driving-strap 24 to the free end of the arm 17 to be driven positively. Integral on the inner end of the pulley 23 is formed the springcasing 25, in which is inclosed the spiral reversing or take-up spring 26, which latter is provided for the purpose of counterbalancing the weight of the pedal 16 and moving the latter into its upper position when released each time said pedal is pressed downwardly by the operator. The spiral spring 26 is secured to the fixed bearing 20 at its inner end or eye by a suitable securing screw or pin 27 and at its other end to a point on the inner surface of the flange of the spring inclosing casing by the screw 28 in such position that when the clutch-pulley 23 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 0 the spring 26 will counteract or tend to revolve said clutch-pulley 23 in the reverse direction, and when the pedal 16 is released the said pulley 23 will return to its starting-point.

A lever-carrying disk 29, having the integral flange 30, is loosely mounted on the reduced end of the pulley 23 to revolve a limited amount thereon, which rotary play is dependent on the proportion of the arms of the friction clutch-levers 31. The clutch-levers 31 are fulcrumed on the studs 32, which are situated on the disk 29 equally distant from the center of said disk and on directly opposite sides of the center thereof, and the said studs are firmly and securely fastened in said disk to maintain said levers rigidly in their respective positions. The link-studs 33 are secured in the end of the clutch-pulley 23 equally distant from the center and on diametrically opposite sides thereof, and a retaining-washer 34 is drilled to receive the ends of said studs 33, which latter are riveted over on their ends to securely retain said washer 34 in position thereon to prevent an excessive play of the toggle-connecting links 35 between the end of said pulley 23 and said washer. The toggle-links 35 are drilled at their ends to receive at one of their ends the studs 33 and at their opposite ends the pins 36, secured in the bifurcated or forked ends of the friction clutch-levers 31, so that when the clutch-pulley 23 is revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 5 the lever-arms 37 are swung outwardly, as indicated by the arrows (1, also in Fig. 5, to cause the friction-shoes 38, fitted in the recessed ends of the shorter clutch-lever arms 42 and securely keyed or otherwise fastened therein, to simultaneously contact with the clutch-flange 39,formed integral on the clutchdisk 21. The clutch-disk 21 is provided with a central hub or boss 40, which is drilled to receive the end of the shaft 18 and is firmly secured thereon to turn therewith by a pin 41 or other suitable securing device. The shorter arms 42 of the clutch-levers 31 are formed integral on the arms 37'and at right angles therewith, and the shoe-receiving recesses, into which the friction-shoes 38 are tightly fitted, are drilled or otherwise formed at or near the outer orfree ends of said arms 42. A series of peripheral keyways or seats are formed in each of the shoes 38 in such position relatively to each other that the said shoes 38 may be turned in said shoe-receiving recesses till each of their keyways 44 will register with their next adjacent keyways 43, formed in said shoes, and by this construction of the said shoes the contacting or friction surfaces of the said shoes 38 after removing the key 45 may readily be changed when worn excessively to present a new contacting surface to engage the flange 39 of the clutchdisk 21.

The peculiar form of clutch mechanism above described is particularly and peculiarly adapted to accomplish the work required of this machine, for the reason that when the foot-pedallfi is released-the natural tendency of the clutch mechanism will be to promptly disengage the friction mechanism and permit the driving pulley or wheel 10 to be turned independently of the driving mechanism and in either direction. This latter condition is particularly necessary and useful, for in the process of unwinding the weft ofi the spool and winding it upon the shuttle it is necessary that the driving mechanism be quickly released to. permit the free rotation of the spool 8 and again quickly put into engagement when the twisting operation is resumed.

The construction and function of the spool 8 I will now proceed to describe.

The barrel 46 of the spool 8 is tubular and is adapted to loosely and accurately fit on the prolonged end of the spindle 5, and on the too ends of the said barrel 46 are mounted and permanently secured the collars 47 and 48, to the inner sides of which the disks 8 and 49 have been previously secured. The disk 49 is provided with a radial slot 50, into which the weft to be twisted is passed, and an anchor or retaining-pin 51 is secured to the barrel 46 in such position thereon to be adjacent to and parallel with the face of the said disk 46 and directly opposite and in alinement with the slot 50.

A book 52 may be provided and removably secured on the projecting end of the spindle 5, and the same is provided for the purpose of twisting short or broken-off pieces of weftstrips that could not be conveniently twisted by means of the spool-twisting means above described.

In practice it has been found necessary to provide means whereby the driving-wheel 10, the inertia of which is considerable when the required speed has been attained and which speed must be maintained throughout the operation of twisting and winding the weft, may be instantly stopped. For this purpose I provide a brake crank-lever, having its longer or pedal arm 53 adapted to extend horizontally under the drive-pedal 16, which cranklever arm is pivoted between the bifurcations of the fulcrum-fork 55 on the fulcrum-pin 54, and on the said horizontally-extending arm 53 is formed the brake-arm 56, which extends upwardly toward the side of the rim of the drive-wheel 10 and in position relatively thereto that when the drive-pedal-lever 16 is pressed downwardly to its lower position the same will contact with the arm 53 to cause the arm 56 to contact with the rim of the wheel 10 to stop the latter. A friction-producing material 57, of leather or a soft metallic substance, is secured in position on the end of the said brake-arm 56 to contact with the rim of the said wheel 10 to make the braking means more eifective.

The manner of practicing my invention I will now proceed to describe. The weft to be twisted and wound upon the spool S is first looped over the pin 51 at one end and then passed through the twisting-slot 50 of the spool 8 The spool S is now put into rapid motion by the operator by means of the footpedal 16 to reciprocate upwardly and downwardly to cause the drive-clutch mechanism, previously described, to operate to drive the driving-wheel 10, by which the spool 8 is rotated, in the direction indicated by the arrow (Z. The operator while operating the pedal 16 to maintain the speed of the spool 8 grasps the weft at a point close to the twisting-slot 50 and draws his hand gradually along the weft in a direction from the revolving spool 8 *till a length of weft is within the reach and ability of the operatorto handle without leaving his post at the machine. This length having been twisted the machine is brought to a sudden stop by means of the brake mechanism previously described, and the weft thus twisted is removed out of the twisting-slot 50 while the spool 8 is at rest. The spool is immediately put in motion to wind the weft thereupon, and when the twisted portion of said weft is fully wound upon said spool the operator by a quick movement places the weft again into the slot 50 and the twisting process is again proceeded with, and thus the operation of alternate twisting and winding is continued till the weft is wound upon the spool, which when done said weft is ready to be wound upon the shuttles previously to being woven into a fabric.

Having thus fully described this my in vention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to cover by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. In a twisting and winding machine, the combination with a revoluble spindle, of a spool removably secured on said spindle to turn therewith, said spool composed of a central or barrel portion and end disk portions, the outer one of which is provided with a radially-extendingopen-ended slotandmeans adjacent to said slot whereto the end of the material to be twistedis secured.

2. In a twisting and winding machine, the combination with a revoluble spool removably secured on said spindle to turn therewith, said spool composed of a central barrel portion and end disk portions the outer one of which is provided with a radially-extending slot open at the periphery of said disk, and a vertically-extending anchor-pin adjacent to said slot and in alinement with one of the edges thereof.

3. In a twisting and winding machine, the combination with a standard, of a spindle journaled thereon, a spool mounted on said spindle and provided with means for twisting the material to be wound, a driving-pulley journaled upon said standard and geared to said spindle, means for operating said driving-pulley, a clutch between said driving-pulley and said operating means to permit the driving-pulley to operate independently of the operating means, and means operatively related to said operating means for effecting a quick stoppage of the driving-pulley.

4:. In a twisting and winding machine, the combination with a standard, of a spindle journaled thereon, a spool mounted on said spindle and provided with means for twisting the material to be wound, a driving-pub ley journaled upon said standard and geared to said spindle, a treadle for operating said driving-pulley, a clutch between said driving-pulley and the treadle to permit the driving-pulley to operate independently of the treadle, and means operatively related to said treadle for effecting a quick stoppage of the driving-pulley.

5. In a twisting and winding machine, the combination with a standard, of a spindle journaled thereon, a spool mounted on said spindle and provided with means for twisting the material to be wound, a driving-pulley journaled upon said standard and geared to said spindle, a treadle for operating said driving-pulley, a clutch between said driving-pulley and the treadle to permit the driving-pulley to operate independently of the treadle, and a brake arranged beneath said treadle and adapted to be actuated by the latter for effecting a quick stoppage of the driving-pulley.

6. In' a twisting and winding machine, the combination with a standard, of a spindle journaled thereon, a spool mounted on said spindle and provided with means for twisting the material to be wound, a driving-pulley journaled upon said standard and geared to said spindle, a treadle mounted upon said standard beneath said driving-pulley for operating the latter, a clutch mounted upon the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 1 ADAM S. HORLAOHER.

THOMPSON R. BELL,

WVitnesses: l C. W. DoLL. 

